Scottish Executive

Child Protection

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next publish the number of children recorded on child protection registers.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive intends to publish figures for the number of children recorded on child protection registers as at 31 March 2000 in October 2001.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the funding arrangements for the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and how it will ensure that this organisation continues its work.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Consumer protection is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux receives funding from the Department of Trade and Industry and enquiries about funding arrangements should be directed to that department. The Scottish Executive, however, maintains regular contact with the organisation on a range of devolved issues.

Construction Industry

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the construction contracts provision in Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and the Scheme for Construction Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 1998 on the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration sector in Scotland.

Iain Gray: The Construction Industry Board undertook a review of the adjudication provisions of Part II of the act and the scheme for construction contracts last year at the request of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The Construction Industry Board was asked to provide an impartial and balanced assessment of the impact of the legislation on all sectors of the industry and, at the request of the Scottish Executive, to have regard to the operation of adjudication in Scotland.

Construction Industry

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received on the operation of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.

Iain Gray: The Executive has received correspondence from the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland regarding the operation of the legislation particularly with regard to the specialist contracting sector.

Construction Industry

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it submitted a response to the consultation by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions on the Construction Industry Board (CIB) review of the adjudication provisions of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and the Scheme for Construction Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 1998 and, if so, whether this response addressed the CIB’s concerns regarding the enforcement provisions in the Scottish regulations.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive did not submit a separate response to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions’ consultation paper which was issued to the industry’s main umbrella bodies following the Construction Industry Board’s earlier review of adjudication provisions. The Executive has maintained liaison with the department’s officials throughout the review and consultation processes, and issues relating to the legislation are being addressed by the Executive, including the enforcement provisions in the Scottish Scheme.

Construction Industry

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to undertake a review of Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 following the completion of the review of the adjudication provisions in the construction contracts legislation undertaken by the Construction Industry Board.

Iain Gray: The recent review of the adjudication provisions in the legislation, which was undertaken by the Construction Industry Board at the request of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and had regard to Scottish issues, concluded that the provisions of the Act and associated schemes have proved generally to work well. The Executive will consult the industry in Scotland about any proposals for legislative change which emerge from its consideration of the Construction Industry Board’s findings.

Drug Misuse

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of drugs was seized by the Scottish Police Force, what the street value was of those drugs, how many drug dealers were arrested and what the value was of the assets seized by the Scottish Police Force, in each year from 1997 to date.

Iain Gray: The available information is as follows:

  


 


1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  



Amount seized 
  



Class A (kgs) 
  

28 
  

67 
  

239 
  



Class A (thousand doses) 
  

26 
  

39 
  

92 
  



Class B (kgs) 
  

5,426 
  

12,876 
  

1,186 
  



Estimated value of seizures (£ million) 
  



Class A 
  

2.3 
  

5.5 
  

16.4 
  



Class B 
  

30.1 
  

42.9 
  

4.5 
  



  Notes:

  1. Source: Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics published by the Home Office.

  2. Figures for Class A drugs are for cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and methadone (amount seized measured in kilograms) and for LSD and Ecstasy-type (amount seized measured in doses).

  3. Figures for Class B drugs are for herbal cannabis, cannabis resin and amphetamines.

  4. Estimated values based on average UK "street" prices reported to the National Crime Intelligence Service.

  


 


1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Number of crimes recorded for possession of drugs with 
  intent to supply 
  

7,915 
  

8,290 
  

8,514 
  

8,645 
  



  Source: Scottish Executive.

  


 


1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Value of confiscation orders (drugs related) 
(£ million) 
  

0.391 
  

0.362 
  

0.807 
  



  Source: Crown Office.

Employment

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in respect of the mothballing, with the loss of 110 jobs, of the Kvaerner fabrication yard in Methil, Fife.

Ms Wendy Alexander: At the end of 1999, the Oil and Gas Industry Task Force (now renamed Pilot) set up a Fabricators Support Group. This brought together the oil industry, Government, the fabricators themselves and other interested parties to develop an integrated approach to the ongoing difficulties facing the sector. The Scottish Executive and the Department of Trade and Industry are members of this group.

  We are continuing to work closely with the Fabricators Support Group, the Department of Trade and Industry, Fife Council and the local enterprise company on the implications of the recent announcement about the Kvaerner yard in Methil and to develop a long-term strategy for the future of this yard. The support group plans to put in place mechanisms to assist individuals to acquire new skills and employment opportunities.

Fisheries

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or plans to take, to prevent the spread of the freshwater salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris into rivers and what guidelines it has issued to river fishery boards on this matter.

Rhona Brankin: Scotland, and the UK, is free of Gyrodactylus Salaris (GS), and always has been, as a result of our strict health requirements, the work of the Fish Health Inspectorate and the natural barrier formed by the sea.

  We have agreed safeguard measures with the European Commission, prohibiting the importation of all live salmonids except from areas also recognised as free from GS.

  Although our scientific assessment is that the chances of the parasite being introduced are low, we are working with the wild fish and fish farming industries on additional measures to prevent the parasite entering the country and on action which could be taken if it did, and aim to issue a contingency plan later this year.

  The Association of District Salmon Fishery Boards has recently asked its members to review their own policies on GS.

Fisheries

Mr John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government concerning action that can be taken UK-wide to prevent the spread of the freshwater salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris .

Rhona Brankin: We have been working closely with DEFRA to develop measures to prevent this parasite entering the UK or Scotland, and on action which could be taken if it did. We aim to ensure consistency of approach, where appropriate, and prevent infection being transmitted in either direction over the border.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the second foot-and-mouth disease economic impact survey due to be published in August 2001, it will conduct another such survey in the autumn after the tourist season.

Ross Finnie: A third survey will be conducted in the autumn to update the impact assessment picture. The precise details of the survey will be taken forward by the Economic Impact Assessment Group.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the extent to which volume one of the report Progressing Further Education in Glasgow: Strategic Options by KPMG focuses on estates issues and not educational provision.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The report was commissioned jointly by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the Glasgow Colleges Group, not by the Scottish Executive. The report itself makes clear that the commission was to generate and evaluate strategic options for the provision of further education in Glasgow which will be both efficient and effective in meeting the needs of learners, and additionally, will be cost effective in the use of estates.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consider any funding implications associated with the merger options for Glasgow colleges identified in volume one of the report by KPMG, Progressing Further Education in Glasgow: Strategic Options .

Ms Wendy Alexander: The funding of the Scottish further education sector, including any funding support for strategic change within the sector, is a matter for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any timetable for mergers in the further education sector in Glasgow will be set as a result of the recommendations made by KPMG in volume one of their report Progressing Further Education in Glasgow: Strategic Options and, if so, what that timetable will be.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive will set no such timetable. Any action stemming from this report will be for the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the Glasgow colleges.

General Practitioners

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the difficulties facing the G-DOCS scheme in Grampian and what action it will take to ensure that there is an adequate out-of-hours GP service available in that area.

Susan Deacon: An out-of-hours development fund (£5.742 million for 2001-02) is allocated to health boards to support improvements in out-of-hours services, including the development of out-of-hours co-operatives. G-DOCS and NHS Grampian are working closely together to ensure that out-of-hours services will continue to run effectively and efficiently in Grampian.

General Practitioners

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or plans to take, to address the financial difficulties of G-DOCS, the GP co-operative for out-of-hours services in the north east.

Susan Deacon: Out-of-hours co-operatives are not directly funded by the Executive, an Out-of-Hours Development Fund (£5.742 million for 2001-02) is allocated to health boards to support improvements in out-of-hours services, including the development of out-of-hours co-operatives. G-DOCS and NHS Grampian are working closely together to ensure that out-of-hours services will continue to run effectively and efficiently in Grampian.

General Practitioners

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP co-operatives are funded by the Scottish Executive, which co-operatives these are and how much funding is given to each.

Susan Deacon: There are some 37 GP out-of-hours co-operatives in Scotland – these are not directly funded by the Executive but an out-of-hours development fund (£5.742 million for 2001-02) is allocated to health boards to support improvements in out-of-hours services, including the development of out-of-hours co-operatives. Details of the funding of individual out-of-hours co-operatives are not held centrally.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to set up dedicated regional centres for the treatment of scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis.

Susan Deacon: There are no such plans. Systemic sclerosis is a relatively rare condition.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to set up a management care network for the treatment of scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis.

Susan Deacon: Managed clinical networks are for the medical professionals treating people with specific conditions to set up based on their assessment of local needs.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on research into the treatment of and possible cures for scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, in the last five years and how much is expected to be spent in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland.

  In the last five years CSO has spent £15,142 on research into scleroderma. CSO has no future expenditure commitments for research into this disease but would be pleased to consider further research proposals, which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

  CSO is also aware of 68 research projects completed in the last five years on scleroderma in the UK, nine of which were in Scotland. There are a further 22 ongoing research projects into this disease in the UK, two of which are in Scotland. Although no financial information is maintained, other details of these projects are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Parliament’s reference centre.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were diagnosed with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, in the last five years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: Patients diagnosed with systemic sclerosis will be treated in General Practice or as in-patients or day cases in NHS hospitals. It is only possible to give figures broken down by health board for hospital patients, which is shown in the following table.

  


Health Board of Residence 
  

Number of Patients 
  



*Scotland 


527 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

51 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

22 
  



Borders 
  

15 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

8 
  



Fife 
  

40 
  



Forth Valley 
  

24 
  



Grampian 
  

42 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

113 
  



Highland 
  

19 
  



Island Boards 
  

1 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

48 
  



Lothian 
  

92 
  



Tayside 
  

54 
  



  *Patients whose health board of residence changed over the five-year period are counted separately under each health board but are counted only once in the Scotland total.

  Information about face-to-face consultations between GPs and patients is gathered centrally as part of the Continuous Morbidity Recording in General Practice (CMR) system. CMR data are obtained from a sample of Scottish General Practices whose population is broadly nationally representative. From this, national estimates of the number of patients seen by GPs can be calculated. Information is available centrally for the four-year period between January 1997 and December 2000. It is estimated that approximately 680 patients were seen by General Practitioners in Scotland during this period, in respect of systemic sclerosis. Information is not available by health board of residence.

  There is an unquantifiable element of double counting between these two sources, as many patients treated in NHS hospitals for systemic sclerosis will also be treated in General Practice.

Hospitals

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether PFI/PPP projects, such as Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, are built to the same construction standards as would apply to public buildings built under public procurement procedures funded by the public sector.

Susan Deacon: Statutes, regulations, codes and standards are in place to ensure that the provision of NHS facilities comply with legal construction standards. These standards apply irrespective of the procurement method.

Hospitals

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what performance standards have to be met by private operators in terms of services to patients in hospitals that are the subject of PFI/PPP projects, such as Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, and how these standards are agreed and monitored.

Susan Deacon: It is for NHSScotland bodies to specify the performance standards they require when issuing an Invitation to Tender or Negotiate for a PFI/PPP contract. In doing so they will be expected to have regard to the guidance available from the Scottish Executive on requirements for the services concerned. These requirements apply irrespective of whether the services are provided by the public or private sector.

  It is equally for NHSScotland bodies to formulate, propose and agree contractual arrangements with their private sector partner, for monitoring standards in operation.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a mapping exercise will be carried out to clarify the potential impact of housing stock transfer proposals on housing capital receipts set-aside and whether abolishing set-aside would impact on the Scottish assigned budget.

Jackie Baillie: The purpose of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital receipts set-aside is to reduce the burden of debt being carried by local authorities and their rent payers. If set-aside were abolished, local authorities would be able to spend all their receipts on new housing investment. As a consequence housing debt would be increased and rents would rise to service the increased debt. It would be open to the United Kingdom Government to take into account any such increase in self-financed local authority expenditure in considering the level of grant to the Scottish Administration.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many task forces, working groups or other similar bodies it convened for purposes connected with the Housing (Scotland) Bill; what the purposes of these were or are; who served or serves as members of any such bodies, and in what capacity each member served or serves.

Jackie Baillie: A number of Executive working groups, both formal and informal, have had an input to matters covered by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

  Groups which have had a specific or substantial connection to purposes connected with the Act and its implementation include the following:

  Housing Interests Group

  The Housing Interests Group first met in June 1999. Its purpose was to discuss the Executive’s housing agenda, including the proposals in the Housing Green Paper and strategic issues for inclusion in the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

  The group is chaired by myself as Minister for Social Justice, and has included the following members in addition to officials from the Executive (other representatives of these organisations may also attend from time to time).

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Robert Aldridge 
  

Scottish Council for Single Homeless 
  



David Alexander 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



David Chalmers 
  

Council of Mortgage Lenders 
  



Alan Ferguson 
  

Chartered Institute of Housing 
  



Hugh Hall 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



Fanchea Kelly 
  

COSLA 
  



Liz Nicholson 
  

Shelter Scotland 
  



John Carracher 
  

Scottish Tenants Organisation 
  



  Working Group on Single Social Tenancy; Short Life Right to Buy Working Group, and Working Group on Implementation of Part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001

  A steering group was set up between February 2000 and May 2001 to oversee the production of a model tenancy agreement for the new Scottish secure tenancy envisaged by the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

  A short-life Right to Buy Working Group met between July and December 2000 to consider the implications and details of the various proposals contained in the Housing (Scotland) Bill which related to the right to buy.

  A Housing Bill Implementation Working Group was set up in June 2001 to oversee the implementation of the provisions of Part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act.

  All three groups are chaired and supported by Scottish Executive officials. The membership of each group is shown in the following tables. Where an organisation is listed, members serve or served in their capacity as representatives of that organisation and other representatives of these organisations may also attend from time to time.

  Working Group on Single Social Tenancy

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Geralyn Lewis 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



Kenny Simpson 
  

COSLA 
  



Ann Cunningham 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



Michael Thain 
  

Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland 
  



Adrian Stalker 
  

Shelter 
  



Linda Spence 
  

Scottish Tenants Organisation 
  



Marion Brown 
  

Tenant Involvement in the Islands, Grampian 
  and Highland Rural Areas 
  



Lesley Baird 
  

Tenant Participation Advisory Service 
  



Ilene Campbell 
  

Tenants Information Service 
  



Derek O’Carroll 
  

Consultant 
  



  Short Life Right to Buy Working Group

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Keith Anderson 
  

COSLA 
  



David Alexander 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) 
  



Gavin Corbett 
  

Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland 
  



Dr Tony O’Sullivan 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



David Chalmers 
  

Council of Mortgage Lenders 
  



Lorna Clark 
  

Shelter 
  



  Working Group on Implementation of Part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Alan McKeown 
  

COSLA 
  



Elaine Zwirlein, Dundee City Council 
  

COSLA 
  



Karen Watt 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



David Bookbinder 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



Linda Ewart 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



Michael Thain 
  

Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland 
  



Marion Gibb 
  

Shelter 
  



Lesley Baird 
  

Tenant Participation Advisory Service 
  



Isabel Wilson 
  

Tenants Information Service 
  



  Homelessness Task Force

  The Homelessness Task Force was established in August 1999, with a remit to:

  "Review the causes and nature of homelessness in Scotland; to examine current practice in dealing with cases of homelessness; and to make recommendations on how homelessness in Scotland can best be prevented and, where it does occur, tackled effectively."

  The task force is chaired by myself as the Minister for Social Justice and is supported by officials from the Scottish Executive. The other members are:

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Robert Aldridge 
  

Scottish Council for Single Homeless 
  



David Alexander 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



Pat Bagot 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



Suzanne Fitzpatrick 
  

Department of Urban Studies, Glasgow University 
  



Paul Howarth 
  

Department of Work and Pensions (formerly the DSS) 
  



Cllr Rita Miller 
  

COSLA 
  



Liz Nicholson 
  

Shelter Scotland 
  



Catriona Renfrew 
  

Greater Glasgow Health Board 
  



Bill Robertson 
  

Scottish Association of Social Work Directors 
  



Margaret Taylor 
  

Glasgow Council for Single Homeless 
  



Mark Turley 
  

COSLA 
  



Mel Young 
  

The Big Issue in Scotland 
  



  Single Housing Plans Group

  The Single Housing Plans Group (SHPG) was established in February 2000 with a view to taking forward the Housing Green Paper proposal for a single housing plan for each local authority area. Membership of the group, chaired by Professor Duncan Maclennan, comprised representatives from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Homes, COSLA, local authorities, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Chartered Institute of Housing. Following the submission of a report and series of recommendations to ministers, a smaller, more informal, working group, consisting of Scottish Homes, local authority, COSLA and Scottish Executive representatives, met in order to produce guidance on the preparation of local housing strategies and to oversee the local housing strategies pilot process. This group will continue to meet throughout 2001 and into 2002.

  In addition to Executive officials, membership of the SHPG comprised:

  


Name 
  

Organisation 
  



Tony O’Sullivan 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



Alistair Dee 
  

Scottish Homes 
  



Alan Ferguson 
  

Chartered Institute of Housing 
  



Dave Alexander 
  

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 
  



Kenny Simpson 
  

COSLA 
  



Jim Hayton 
  

South Lanarkshire Council 
  



Keith Anderson 
  

City of Edinburgh Council 
  



Jill Stewart 
  

Highland Council 
  



  Scottish Homes Steering Group

  To address the issues arising from the provision within the Act for the transfer of Scottish Homes’ functions, staff and property to the Scottish ministers, a steering group was formed. Its members were senior Scottish Executive Development Department and Scottish Homes officials. Three sub-groups were established to look in detail at Finance, Structures and Staff, reporting findings to the steering group. A Transitional Issues Group was also established. This involved the Secretary of the Scottish Executive Development Department and the chief executive of Scottish Homes, and met to consider issues concerning the new executive Agency, for which the present board at Scottish Homes would have no competence to make decisions.

  Grants to Housing Associations

  The Act will give the Scottish ministers the power to withdraw grants under section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 from housing associations, and the Executive has made a commitment to set up a joint group with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations to consider the effects of this.

Land Ownership

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the contract let to Environmental Resources Management Ltd on 30 October 2000 in relation to the need for improved information on rural land holdings and on beneficial ownership.

Mr Jim Wallace: The estimated cost is £23,030.

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will address the suggestions relating to information technology made in item 11 on page 235 of the April 2001 report by the Leadership Advisory Panel, Scottish Local Government’s Self-Review of its Political Management Structure .

Peter Peacock: Changes to legislation which currently affects the use of ICT in the conduct of council meetings are being considered. In terms of increasing levels of ICT investment, local authorities can benefit from the Modernising Government Fund and other Executive funding.

Road Accidents

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8561 from Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000, how many injury road accidents occurred during 2000 on the Stirling to Ballat Cross stretch of the A811.

Sarah Boyack: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form.

  During 2000 there were 13 injury road accidents which were identified in the STATS 19 returns as occurring on the A811 between its junction with the A81 and the centre of Stirling.

  It should be noted that this figure is based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. It may differ from any figure which the local authority would provide now, because it does not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in response to concerns expressed about the A85 at Glen Ogle by local people in their petition presented recently to the Deputy Minister for Transport and Planning.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has plans to undertake improvements identified for a number of sections on the A85 between Lochearnhead and Lix Toll. These include schemes to improve visibility and road realignment at bends. The new Operating Company, BEAR Scotland Ltd, has been instructed to progress the design of the schemes this year. Implementation of the schemes will be progressed subject to availability of funds and other competing trunk road priorities.

  In addition, a review of verge safety fences has been undertaken on the A85 and two sites at Glen Ogle have been identified for treatment. The work will be subject to competitive tender and is programmed to be completed this financial year.

Roads

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16227 by Sarah Boyack on 25 June 2001, what plans it has to ensure that routine maintenance and grass-cutting continues on the land that is still in the ownership of the Scottish Executive but outwith the trunk road boundary, adjacent to the A77 between Hazelbank Holmston and the Bankfield roundabout.

Sarah Boyack: Amey Highways Ltd has been instructed to undertake grass cutting on the land adjacent to the A77 between Hazelbank Holmston and the Bankfield roundabout. The performance of these operations is subject to audit and inspection by the Performance audit group employed by the Executive.

Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association regarding the role that the association plays in preserving the skills of the sector.

Ross Finnie: None.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Scottish Qualifications Authority has made towards delivery of the 2001 examination results.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Qualifications Authority provides me with regular updates on its progress towards delivery of the exams diet and candidates’ results. I have today written to you in your role as convener of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee with a summary of the current situation, and I will lodge copies of that letter in the Parliament’s information centre in order to assist all MSPs with enquiries they may receive.

Teacher Training

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10928 by Mr Jack McConnell on 17 November 2000, how many places are expected to be filled at teacher training institutions in each of the next three years in each category of study.

Mr Jack McConnell: The following table shows how many places are expected to be filled at teacher training institutions in each category of study in the academic session 2001-02.

  


Intakes to initial teacher education courses 
  

2001-02 
  



Primary BEd 
  

701 
  



Primary PGCE 
  

707 
  



Secondary BEd 
  

174 
  



Secondary PGCE 
  

1,044* 
  



Total 
  

2,626 
  



  *A minimum of 626 places will be taken from the priority subject list. The current priority subjects resulting from information from education authorities are, computing, English, mathematics, modern languages, music, physics, religious education, technological education and Gaelic-medium in history and geography).

  Intake figures to courses of initial teacher education are set annually by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) following guidance each year from the Education Department on the minimum requirements for newly qualified teachers. SHEFC normally inform teacher education institutions of intake levels to courses in the February prior to the academic session in question. It is not therefore possible at this time, to provide the information for the period beyond 2001–02.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has played in the appointment of new directors for the Scottish Tourist Board.

Ms Wendy Alexander: None.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will offer to enable the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival Ltd in Portsoy to continue on an annual basis.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Since inception in 1993, the Executive, through its agencies Scottish Enterprise Grampian (SEG) and Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board (AGTB), has offered a wide range of marketing and public relations assistance to the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy. This year, their combined contribution amounted to around one third of the total costs of the event. SEG and AGTB would be willing to consider any application from the organising committee for future assistance for the traditional boat festival.

Tourism

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a survey of the funding requirements for each area tourist board and how it will ensure that adequate resources are made available to each one.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Decisions about the level of core funding for area tourist boards are a matter for councils and for VisitScotland.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the statement by the UK Minister for the Environment on Newsnight on 3 July 2001 that toxic fly ash from incinerators that is used in construction materials could be a hazard to human health and his subsequent instruction to the Environment Agency to determine where such materials have been used, it will direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to do the same.

Rhona Brankin: Fly ash from incinerators is classified as special waste under the Special Waste Regulations 1996 and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) must be notified prior to all movements of the waste. The transportation and disposal of special waste is carried out under strict conditions and documented in consignment notes. The Executive has no plans to direct SEPA to undertake any separate investigation into how special waste from incinerators is used.

  Bottom ash from incinerators is relatively inert and, therefore, capable of being recycled provided this is carried out in accordance with a Waste Management Licence issued by SEPA. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has commissioned a risk assessment covering the implications for health and the environment from using bottom ash from incinerators in road construction, and I await the outcome of that study with interest.

Water Authority

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the comparative office accommodation costs would be if the proposed new single water authority were to be based in (a) Tayside and (b) Edinburgh.

Ross Finnie: General information on comparative rental costs for office accommodation in Edinburgh and Dundee is available from the Valuation Office Agency Property Market Report (which is updated every six months in the spring and autumn).

  No specific information of this nature is currently available for Scottish Water, since it will depend on decisions which have still to be taken on the structure of the new organisation, including the extent of headquarters functions, the extent to which different functions may or may not be dispersed across the country and the availability of specific property.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the granite to be used in the building of the new Scottish Parliament will originate from Kemnay as previously indicated and whether the role of Kemnay or any other Scottish quarry will be more than processing granite sourced from outwith Scotland.

Sir David Steel: I can confirm that the granite for cladding the MSP office building is demonstrably from Kemnay Quarry in Aberdeenshire. The Trade Package containing the granite required for the remainder of the building has not yet been awarded. The tender specification for that package will include the wording "Kemnay granite to match the granite on the MSP building, or equivalent…". The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group will notify MSPs once the award has been made.

Scottish Parliament Publications

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what percentage of Scottish Parliament documents is printed on recycled paper.

Sir David Steel: The Parliament is not able to provide figures on the percentage of its documents that are printed on recycled paper. However, the Parliament uses paper produced in an environmentally friendly way for most of its printing and publishing.

  Paper provided for use in photocopiers, fax machines and printers is a mixture of 100% recycled paper and virgin paper. Printer, fax paper and light use photocopiers use paper made up from 100% de-inked post – consumer recycled waste. It is of high quality and is easy to recycle. The dust generated from the use of recycled paper could effect the operation of heavy use photocopy machines. As a result heavy use photocopiers are supplied with virgin paper. The virgin paper comes from trees in Scandinavia planted specifically for paper production. For every tree felled, two are planted.

  At least 75% of the paper constituents used for headed paper, compliment slips etc, are made from 100% de-inked post consumer waste.

  Paper used for Parliament publications produced by The Stationery Office, although not made from recycled materials, carries the Nordic Ecolabel for low emissions during production and is 100% recyclable.